Christmas Pictures

12/30/13

Wow, okay so can I just say, it was incredible to talk to ya'll on Christmas. Just the very best :) Sperry and I went home and just smiled for the whole night. It made you guys feel so much closer to me, like you really were just one phone call away. You all just looked so wonderful and happy and that made me so happy :) Best Christmas present ever. 

 I hope Amanda liked the boxing glove hahaha. 

Oh speaking of packages, you know how you asked me if I needed anything and I was like...No....well I actually thought of some stuff if you ever have the fancy to send another. I know they are expensive though so no pressure. A few ideas though: Kings Hawaiian bread. Delicious, and one of the few things that doesn't melt :)

Good pens. they don't have those here.You know the Pilot G-2 kind....colors please.

Pics and more pics! Oh and a new journal would be so awesome Dad. I'm running out of room (be proud) and it turns out they don't have cool journals here. What's that all about? All they want is American stuff haha.  Okay those are just some ideas. 

Next

I got a package!!!! woohoo. It was from Sister Perry and at first, I gotta be honest, I was super confused, but then I opened it up and realized that the wonderful YW had sent me all kinds of cards and goodies and oh my, I cannot even tell you how wonderful it was..especially the Reese's. You might find this disgusting, but I ate them all in one day...I'll explain in a moment haha. Anyhoodles, thank you all the Young Women!!!! It was incredible to hear from you and it made me and my comps Christmas. My comp almost cried because she had prayed for Bath and Body Works soap lol. So, you done good. Thank you times a million!

Okay, so here's some updates on my life. First of all, I'll explain why I ate nothing but Reese's for a day. First off, they don't exist here, so they are a coveted delicacy. Second of all, we found out what is wrong with us in regards to our sickness......we kinda sorta might have worms. Bleh! Yeah, so there are currently little bugs living inside of our guts!!! It's been quite the journey trying to figure out what was wrong with us, but I gotta be honest, I was thrilled to find out I wasn't just becoming the laziest person ever with a disturbing love for chocolate and sweets. So yes, that is why I lived off of Reese's for a day. The worms made me do it! Don't worry, we are taking medicine right now, so that should take care of the problem and that's all I will say about that lol. BUT get this, we finally found out our problem and were going to get better and THEN...I got mango face haha. So it was back to bed with a big red allergy face. I guess God just really wants us to learn how to rest. Oh man, I just want to work again, but I am learning a lot about what it means to rest. That is for sure. Right now, S and I are learning how to rest, how to trust God, how to love ourselves and most important, how to find joy in every moment, even in trials. As our President said, if God needed the rocks to preach the gospel, he would have them do it, but he wants US to learn how to trust and rely on him. 

I'm out of time, but I just want to share a part of a poem that I read and loved by TS Eliot. It says: 

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

As missionaries, we get really good at keeping busy, but we often forget how to be still. 

As missionaries, we get really good at finding our faults and seeking to improve, but we often forget how to love ourselves in the process.

More important than what we DO is what we ARE....and we ARE children of God. He already loves us perfectly. He sees us as we are and will help us to improve. Trust in Him a little more. Love yourself a little more. We are told to love others as we love ourselves, but if we don't love ourselves, then how are we to fully love others? I'm still working on not beating myself up  every second, but recognizing that I am WORTHY of love is the first step. You are all incredible. Remember to be still and see the beauty around you. Remember that you are allowed to love yourself, that God wants us to, and that if we refuse to recognize our worth, its like telling God He made a piece of junk....which I don't think He would appreciate too much. 

LOVE YOU,

Thanks for EVERYTHING and all the people who sent me things. Jenny, the Shepherds, Grandpa, the Young Women, and anyone else that I just haven't received yet. You are all angels!

Sis Hunny

12-23-13

Okay so first business stuff: I'm pretty positive you can do the 3 way skype thing. It will be done via skype and it should be around 6 oclock my time. I already went to skype and created an account and requested Amanda as a friend, so make sure that it worked. It will be in a members house. Be ready before and after that time, because nothing is ever on time in Brazil haha.Sorry that's like super flakey, but welcome to Brazil.

 

Okay so Wow, Christmas is basically here! That really snuck up.....probably because I am black and my hair is white and I'm sweating as I type this haha. But still, Christmas is coming and that means I get to talk to you guys. What a blessing! Can I tell you though, I never thought I would be grateful for the cold. God has a sneaky way of forcing us to be grateful for EVERYTHING, doesn't he? Even things we thought we hated lol. 

I'm not going to lie, it really is hard to be away from family and loved ones at this time. Really hard. But, once again, I'm so grateful I only have to give up one Christmas in order to experience a tiny bit of loneliness. There are others in this world who have it the other way around. It is more rare for them to feel love than to feel alone. How tragic, but true, and that is why I'm here for just a short chunk of my life. Of course I am missing everything about the Christmas I know, but I'm here for a little bit to tell people every day something I was already blessed to know: That they are children of a loving Heavenly Father. That they are more precious than all the stars in the sky and all the gems in the ground and as cheesy as it all sounds, its true as well. Its true and I know it is a fact that one day, there will be no more tears or pain or loneliness, but only love in its place, and all this is because of our Savior Jesus Christ (Rev 20). Even though I'm missing out on all the Christmas traditions this year, I don't think anything could be more true to the Christmas spirit than going into streets and homes and reminding people of their eternal, sacred worth. I have the chance to teach people about a perfect friend and brother that died for us, even though we rejected Him. This is powerful. This is the reason for Christmas. We must remember and MUST share this gift. There is no gift more important that we can share than the gospel of Jesus Christ. It will change lives and bring light to the world. 

   Yesterday I had an amazing experience. It was so small, but very tender, which is basically the sum of a mission-- tiny miracles every day. Anyway, it was at C's house and we are also teaching her 18  yr old granddaughter I, who is just so broken and has NO self worth, but she hides her sorrow well. She once told us that she it didn't matter if she lived or died, because she is just going to go to Hell anyway. ahh!!! So sad. Last night, as we were saying goodbye, I  hugged her and told her she was so special, but she couldn't look me in the eyes. So I lifted her chin and told her again that she was special and beautiful and that God loved her. Just those simple phrases caused her to collapse into my arms and cry, and in those moments, I know I'm here for a reason. If all it takes is a few simple phrases to make someone cry, then think how much more good we can do. We need to strive to live as an example of Jesus Christ. We need to share His love with everyone we meet, and we have this ability. You guys are all amazing. 

I hope you know that. Thank you for everything and the amazing example you are to me. 

Feliz Natal

LOVE Sis Hunny

12-16-13

Oi!!!!

Como esta meus queridos? I am doing great. We had a baptism this past Saturday and have another one coming this Sunday. Sis S and I are being so blessed by Heavenly Father. He is truly just carrying us along, because I mean....look at us, we are just two Americanas trying to survive in another country, but we are finding success and truly helping people. Haha only Heavenly Father could make this possible. Brendon was our baptism, and he is sooo good. He was just so ready to follow Jesus Christ and dedicate his life to growing and learning in the gospel. He truly is so humble and wonderful and only 14 yrs old! Sorry this letter will  be short, the key board is all messed up and it's hard to type.

So today we lose our P day because we have a practice all day for the missionary christmas chorale. Its gonna be pretty awesome though. Tomorrow we have our Christmas conference/banquet for the mission and we are going to sing our little hearts out for all the missionaries and President Brum and other special guests. Yeah, we are kinda famous...you'll have to wait for autographs ;) Some of the songs are in English and its pretty adorable hearing the Brazilians try to pronounce their Rs, but they are really doing so great.
  So, this week is going to be great. I just know it. Sis S and I have so much fun together, but even more, we are witnessing so many miracles and have so many opportunities to help others. It's truly a blessing to be able to help others, but this week was also kinda hard. So, here's the deal, S and I.....we got really excited about the area and all the good we could do, and we worked our little bums off. We have tried to always put everyone else first and its been really awesome, but it started to catch up with us. Our house was getting dirty, we were going to bed late, and we weren't ever eating because we were too busy. We were getting super stressed. Oh yeah, and we had a baptism, but our bishop wasnt interested in helping us and nobody would answer their phones. So.....all of a sudden, about two days ago, it hit us that we were both kinda dying haha. We were both sick and Sis S said I looked like a Holocaust victim because my eyes were all tired and sunken in haha. Yet still, we felt like we weren't doing enough, like we should be doing more because there is SO MUCH TO DO!!!

Listen up everyone, we have got to enjoy life. We have got to stop and smile every once in a while, and we have got to take care of ourselves just a little bit before we go save the world. Sis S said she cant imagine Jesus Christ running from place to place, because he stopped for Everyone. Remember the story of the woman who touched the hem of his robe and he stopped? Well he wouldn't have felt that if he was only worrying about his next appointment and all the OTHER people he has to help. So, right now, sis S and I are trying to discover the balance. Christ had a lot on his mind, but he also had perfect peace and joy, so we are working on resting as well. Its actually really hard to do, but I think its something everyone needs to learn, Americans especially. Thats why Sunday is just such a gift. Its not a sacrifice to keep the Sabbath Day holy. It's a gift. It's a day when we can force ourselves to just rest and not feel guiltly. Look, God is so great, He gave us a guilt free way to force ourselves to relax and meditate on life and enjoy our families. SO give yourself a moment to rest. It doesnt have to be sleep. Just remember that every moment is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.

I'll let you  know next Monday what time we will skype, but probs it will be in the evening. SOOOO EXCITED. Excuse me now, I'll probably cry, so dont judge okay, haha.

LOVE YOU ALL merry  xmas.

PS- it's so weird that it's Christmas because I'm going to bed sweating every night haha.

Oh and forgive me for my lack of writing right now. Like I said....I've been really busy. Ill melhorar! I promise. Disculpe!

12-9-13

OOOOOOKKKKKAAAAAYYYY! holy guacamole where to begin?! This has been my best week in Brazil for sure and it's only gonna get better I know. Wow, so my new comp is the bomb diggity! Let me tell you what. She is like a cool breeze and a pina colada (virgin of course) on the beach after a year without vacation. I didn't really say anything, but last transfer was REALLY hard, but now I'm really, truly, so amazingly happy! I am finding so much joy in the work. Its not even work. It's just an adventure and a blessing to be able to uplift people and be a part of little miracles everyday. 

O man, why am I so happy? Well, Sis S is just a joy. She is so humble and sweet and sincere and she wants to work hard, but we don't worry about numbers. We are worrying about people as individuals, not tallies, and loving them. Our goal is to leave every person, place and thing better off than we found it. Every study hour is like a devotional, and we learn sooo much. She has had a hard mission up to this point as well, and always tells me I'm helping her heal, but really she is healing me as well. We laugh and smile always. Seriously, this week could have been really bad haha. We came home to something crazy every night. One night, it rained and our windows were opened and EVERYTHING got soaked, including all of my books and scriptures.....and our beds. So.....we were like wowza, this is bad, and then we just died laughing. We slept on different beds with nasty pillows and separated each page of my scripture and just laughed. We can get through anything together. When she first got here, she was so afraid to make a mistake. She said sorry for everything, but in just a week, I've been pushing myself to always be calm, patient and optimistic, so that she isn't afraid. Its a blessing for both of us, because we never stress or despair, even though we are two lost Americans just trying to get around a foreign country haha. I see her personality emerging more everyday and she really is just a gem. We have so  much fun. 

We see so many miracles. We focus less on numbers, but we do work on being prompt and reliable. Because of that, everyday we end up with more lessons and contacts than we even planned on. Another miracle is that the day we started working together, I could understand and speak Portuguese ten times better! It was amazing. Seriously, I was so nervous because we are both very new at the language and I didn't know how people would understand us. But guess what, we just went out there and talked to people and I could suddenly understand everything they said. What?! Miracle. BAM. I can talk way better too. God is amazing. He truly qualifies us when he needs something done. I know Sis S and I need to be together. We are not only trying to help our area, but we want to uplift our roommates and all the sisters and all the missionaries. We want to change the mission to an environment where everyone feels safe and confident and is not afraid to make mistakes, and that just comes from building people up and being an example. We are hoping President Brum will let us stick together for a long time, so that we can help as many people as possible. Seriously, we have miracles everyday. WE are hoping for 3 baptisms this week :) but its not even about the baptisms. Its about helping people recognize that they are children of God. I am here and you are there in this exact moment so that you can encounter people that need your love. They need somebody to tell them that there is a God above that knows and loves them, and you can be that person. We are all tools in Gods hands. I happen to be here in Brazil right now, and I'll do whatever it is He needs me to do right now, but when I return, I will still be an instrument for Him to lift the hands that hang down. Life is beautiful. If it doesn't seem that way, then change something and pray for Gods help. He will provide :)

I feel so fulfilled in the work right now. I was growing so tired from constantly worrying about uplifting others, but I didn't realize that first I had to uplift myself and find ways to smile. Being in a positive environment is just so life changing. It changes everything. Seriously, avoid negativity like the plague, because it will only lead to despair. EVERYTHING that happens in life can be a blessing or a curse. Its your decision.

Oh yeah haha you'd get a kick out of this. Everyone in my apartment is wanting to get into shape, so I'm kinda their personal trainer. We wake up at 6 and run and do exercises. These girls are awesome and so determined. I love it. It's so fun to see them grow and push themselves both physically and spiritually. So great. We run to church music playing on our phone and it's quite the sight. We get lots of looks and lots of smiles. Its great.

12/2/13

Okay first, Dear Darla: I got a letter from Sam and it was great. She said that you send her my emails and I was wondering....if you have the time......it would be awesome to get a hard copy of her emails as well, so i could know how awesome she is doing. Thanks. Luv YOU!

Second, Christmas. I don't know what your plan is, but if you were wanting to do a package, then my old comp really wants some of those special socks and they don't exist in Brazil so if you could throw some of those in there, that would be awesome.....and some chocolate covered raisins haha. 

Speaking of old comps.....i have a new comp!!!! Sis S. Transfers are today and everything changed. I get to stay in my area, but I got a new comp. Get this, she is American and I technically have more time in the mission than her!! what!? It's  because I served in the states first, but we are both babies in the mish so we are just gonna be two Americanas rockin' the world. I dunno how its gonna go, but I know that it's going to be great. I'm so excited! Seriously she is great and so humble and we are going to work so hard and see so many miracles. I'm sad to part from Sis A but I also know that having two Americans together will bring a fresh perspective to this work. I'm so excited to make plans and be efficient and maybe actually follow our plans for the day haha. That will bring miracles, I know it. I know there are so many people that need to be taught and by golly we are going to find and teach them all. It's going to be an adventure but it will be great. I kinda was freaked out at first, because I really still don't know what I'm doing as far as Brazil goes, but it will be an adventure, and who doesn't love that. I really am looking forward to this transfer so much. I think I'm going to be smiling all the time, which is how I want to always be. Actually, there you go, i just decided it, I'm going to be smiling all the time, despite anything that happens. The word for that is Otimismo, my new goal :)

Yesterday we almost got moved from our area because our pres was afraid it was dangerous. I was so devastated! Seriously, it was good for me because it helped me realize how much I love the people we are working with and how little time we have to help them. In a moment, everything that needs to be done flashed before me and I know I need to be here. I think the mish goes through waves. Sometimes it is more for the missionary and sometimes it is more for the people. I think this time period is going to be for the people because my comp is awesome and we are going to help these people so much and just give everything we have to them. I have so much I want to do and I have so much confidence that it will happen if we are willing to work and show God we care. This is going to be 6 weeks of change and growth. I can't wait. Hey guess what, the Bishop likes us now!! 

Love you alll, beijos

11-25-13

hello hello hello

I got Dad’s letter last Monday right after I wrote my email. I guess the mail service is on strike right now so some are taking longer :(

So....well....we have a baptism this week! That’s a miracle. It’s been up and down, on and off with Agatha. She is the daughter of a less-active member that we met in the street and hadn’t been active for about 20 years. Now she is coming back to church and hopefully her 11 yr old daughter Agatha is getting baptized this Saturday. Her most important request was that we make her chocolate cake, square not round, with brigadeiro and coconut haha. She really likes cake. She really wants to be baptized too, but she has been scared that her Mom won’t stay active and she didn’t want to make a commitment to God that she wouldn’t keep, so that’s why she has been off and on. I have been fasting every week and was fasting yesterday when we set the date. I truly believe it was an answer to my fasting. 

This area is not easy. We have so many people who want to be happier, but they just aren’t willing to give up their addictions or face their fears. I wish I could show them that it really isn’t a sacrifice, because the blessings they will receive through their faith will immensely outweigh what they give up. It’s like trading a piece of stale bread for an entire wedding cake! 

What else? The language is coming along. I’m feeling more and more comfortable every day. Yesterday, sister A was really sick so I taught a lesson all on my own while she was sitting there super out of it. That was a miracle too, for sure. Half of the time I was just hoping I was responding correctly, but I know the Spirit was helping me. 

So transfers are coming up. A and I both have a feeling that something is going to change but we aren’t sure. I’m a little nervous, because she has been such a help to me, and I don’t want her to leave. But I know Heavenly Father will help me and qualify me if that’s what needs to happen. Wow can you believe I’ve been on a mission for 5 months. Next transfer I’ll hit 6. Weird. Time goes by really fast and really slow at the same time. I can’t really explain it. 

I sent you guys a letter with more details about life in Brazil, because it’s hard to think of stuff during email time, but I don’t know how long it will take. 

What else, oh Celia, our awesome investigator, fell off a wall the other day and got hurt really bad. We are hoping she is okay. We have dinner at her house today, so we will see. Oh funny story really quick.

So, the Bishop doesn’t really like the Sisters and we aren’t sure why, but his wife also was really cold toward us. I really wanted this to change, so I asked Rita, his wife, if we could visit her. She was so excited we had thought of her and said she would make us bread. So, before we went there, we were going to Maria’s(another member/angel) for her birthday and we had bought 2 necklaces for her. But sis A thought we should actually give one of them to Bishop’s wife. Well, we did and it was so cool. She started crying and appreciated it sooooo much and couldn’t believe we would do that for her....and now we are basically her favorite people in the world. Thanks you Holy Ghost. I think that will help a lot. Seriously, the Spirit can guide us in ALL things if we just act and listen. Don’t be afraid to act immediately on a prompting and don’t doubt your thoughts. God can have a hand in EVERYTHING if we only let Him in.

That same day, we didn’t follow our plan at all and went to a lot of random houses, but people cried in every single house we visited. It was so cool to see how we are constantly guided to those who need us most. This work is not about numbers or baptisms. I mean, yes those are super important, but baptism is only a quick step on the path to following Jesus Christ. The true importance of this work is just to be a tool in God’s hands so that we can help people endure to the end, progress, and enjoy the many many blessings God has in store for all His children. Please keep an eye out for less actives. Look for new faces or people who are sitting alone at church and go talk to them. People are waiting to be contacted. People want to matter and they want to be thought of, but they don’t know how to reach out. The ward is a family. We need to take care of one another. Our area is 90 % less active and I know the Lord is just as happy to see inactive members return to church as he is about new baptisms. Those of you who want to be a missionary, but can’t think of what to do, go talk to someone who hasn’t been to church. Find the ward list and give people a call. Be a friend to those who need one. Keeping people in the fold is just as important as bringing others, because we all need to be uplifted. We all struggle at times. That is why we are all here on this earth together. I love you all. Shine your light! Share your love, and you will receive more!

I miss you guys so much, but it’s truly a small sacrifice for the blessings that God has and is giving me. 

Love sis Hunny